The present invention relates to a loading station comprising a loading region which is accessible from a loading side and from a machine side.
Such loading stations are used e.g. with automatic handling systems or flexible machining cells to supply workpieces which are e.g. located on a pallet safely into the system for storage, machining or other handling. In this process, automated transport machinery or processing machinery are typically provided at the machine side, e.g. to automatically store the workpieces in a store or to machine them automatically at a processing machine.
The loading region in the loading station in accordance with the invention can be closed in this context toward the loading side and toward the machine side by door elements to prevent any injury of operating personnel. The door elements thus have a machine position in which they release the machine side and close the loading side and a loading position in which they release the loading side and close the machine side. In this way, the loading station works like a sluice which completely separates the loading side from the machine side in the machine position and in the loading position. It can hereby be prevented that persons working on the loading side enter the machine side or are injured by the machinery.
Such a loading station can naturally also be used for the separation of any desired two regions without machines necessarily having to work on the one side for this purpose. The loading station can thus e.g. be loaded by hand from the loading side and unloaded by hand from the machine side, with the door elements regulating the access between the two sides.
A loading station is known from DE 299 19 268 U1 in this connection in which the loading region can be closed in each case toward the loading side and toward the machine by a two-leaf door. In this connection, a lever is arrived on the loading side which has to be moved into a position for the opening of the door leaf at the machine side which is taken up by the door leaves on the load side in an open position and is thus blocked by them.
A loading station is furthermore known from EP 1 029 631 A1 in which a movable loading table is provided which can be moved to and fro from the loading side to the machine side and in so doing is in each case separated from the other side via door elements which can be folded up.
However, these loading stations are complex and/or expensive in construction and are not ideal in handling.